Tianeptine is a tricyclic compound with the chemical name 7-[(3-chloro-6,11-dihydro-6-methyldibenzo[c,f][1,2]thiazepin-11-yl)amino]heptanoic acid S,S-dioxide. Tianeptine is an antidepressant. The free form of tianeptine is amphoteric and an amorphous sodium salt is known in the art.
Synthesis of tianeptine and its sodium salt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,528. Tianeptine sodium (i.e., STABLON®, Coaxil®, or Tatinol®) is currently approved in some countries in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and part of the Middle East for the treatment of one or more depressive disorders. Tianeptine sodium (i.e., STABLON®, Coaxil®, or Tatinol®) is rapidly and completely absorbed and has a short terminal half-life and effective treatment often requires dosing multiple times each day.
Presently, a pharmaceutical composition of tianeptine sodium is generally dosed orally up to three times a day. This frequent oral dosing may lead to decreased compliance with the recommended dosing regimen. A controlled release pharmaceutical composition of tianeptine should enable better command over the release profile and consequently, a less demanding dosing regimen. The sulfate salt of tianeptine may be advantageous in the preparation of a controlled release pharmaceutical composition comprising tianeptine.